Duct terminal



ug. 1931. R. l.. DoDD 1,817,130

DUCT TERMINAL Filed Jan. 7, 1929 l I "unifi/111,111, mi

Patented Aug. 4, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ROY L. DODD, F WAUWATOSA, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR, yBY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO LINE MATERIAL COMPANY, 0F SOUTH MILEVAUKEE, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION 0F DELATARE Application filed January 7, 1929.

wall of a manhole or other central point, and

where the cables are used for higher voltages it is desirable that their exposed portions or that part Which usually extends along the manhole wall be Wrapped with a flameproof material and it is further desirable that the entrances to the conduits or ducts be packed with a flame-proof material. Heref tofore, the application of the flame-proof tape to the cables and the packing in the entrances of the ducts or conduits has been an extremely difficult task as the duct or conduit terminals had no provision for facilitating this operation, therefore, this invention has as an object the provision of an improved duct terminal, constructed so as to facilitate the application of the flame proof material to the cable and to the duct entrances. l

' V Another object of this inventlon resides 1n the provision of an improved conduit or duct tern'iinal which consists of substantially a square block to permit the stacking thereof one above the other to form a manhole wall.

And a further object of this invention resides in the provision of a terminal block having its aperture through which the cable extends so arranged as to provide an anchor for the adjacent conduit end and to provide a portion which is at all times spaced from the cable to facilitate the winding of the flame-proof `material around the cable inwardly of the outer face of the terminal block and the insertion of a suitable flame-proof packing in the conduit entrance to completely surround the cable.

With the above and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, my invention resides in the novel construction` combination and arrangement of r partev substantially as hereinafter described and more particularly defined by the appended claims, it being understood that such changes in the precise embodiment of the hereindisclosed invention may be made as come within the scope of the claims.

DUCT TERMINAL Serial No. 830,773.

In the accompanying drawings, I have illustrated one complete example of the physical embodiment of my invention constructed according to the best mode I have so far devis( ,r for the practical. application of the principles thereof, and in which:

Figure l is a cross sectional view through a portion of a manhole equipped with my improved conduit terminals, parts being in section and in elevation;

Figure 2 is a front view illustrating a plurality of conduit terminals in position forming one wall of a manhole with the cablesV removed, and

Figure 3 is a fragmentary, perspective View, partly in section and partly in elevation illustrating the cable in position.

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals designate like parts throughout the several views, the numeral 5 designates gent erally a manhole or other structure from which one or more underground cables 6 lead through ducts or conduits 7. The conduits communicate with apertures 8 extending centrally through terminal bloc-ks 9 which. are substantially square in cross section and are stacked one above the other and adjacent each other being heldin position by mortar or other like means 10 and forming one wall of the manhole at which the conduits terminate.

The apertures 8 of the terminal blocks i) communicate'with counterbores 11 in which the ends of the conduits are positioned to be properly aligned with the apertures, they diameter of which is substantially the same as the inside diameter of the conduits. From a point approximately midway .between the faces of the terminal blocks the apertures 8 are flared outwardly, as at 12, to terminate in a counter-bore 13 of larger diameter and having` its wall at substantially right angles with the outer face of the terminals, the flared portion providing a smooth and rounded edge over which the cables slide when they are positioned Within the conduits.

When the cables carry relatively higher voltages it is desirable that they be protected by a flame-proof material from the tif) point where they leave the terminals and to this end the cables 6 are Wrapped with a. suitable llame-proof tape 14 which is applied thereto from a point spaced inwardly of the .inter tace ot the terminal blocks, the counterbores 13 being ot a diameter suicient to permit the proper application of the material 14, as will be readily apparent. The counterbores 13 and the apertures 8 are packed With .i suitable l'lame-prooing material 15 which completely surrounds the cable,'engagi1ig the tape 11 and thus completely closes the opening to the interior of the conduits with the fla-meproot material7 the straight sides of the counter-bores 13 maintaining the packing 15 in position. rlhe taping of the cable inwardly ot the man hole wall precludes the possibility of the exposure ot an untaped portion of the caole due to the movement thereof by con- ;raction and expansion.

From the Vforegoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art to which an invention oi this chariciier appertains that I provide a conduit terminal having` means for facilitating the application ot tlame-proof material to the cable, and for. retaining a llame-proof packing` Within the end of the conduit.

IVhat I claim as my invention is:

1. In a device of the character described, a cable, a conduit in which the cable is positioned, a conduit terminal haring a bore of substantially the inside diameter of the conluit, a counter-bore in which the end of the conduit is received, the lirst bore being flared outwardly to provile a rounded surface to [Herent injuring the cable and terminating in a bore of larger diameter, flame-proof maerial Wound about the cable outwardly of the llared bore, and `llame-prooil material fillingl the bore of larger diameter around` the cable.

2. An underground cable installation including a manhole, conduit terminal blocks :forming one n'all of the manhole and having apertures through which cables extend the outer portion of the apertures beingr flared and terminating in countenbores the wall of which vis at all points spaced trom its cable, ,lame-proi'i'f material applied to that portion of the cable within the manhole and extending iiin'ardly of the tace of the terminal blocks. and flame-proof packing lilling the countcrbores around the cables.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto aflixed my signature.

ROY L. DODD. 

